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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27641137">Dr. Henley’s Dinner Appointment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mathmusic8/pseuds/mathmusic8'>mathmusic8</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Inspired by WishfulThinking1979's "Empire Reimagined" AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dr. Henley (Wishfulthinking1979's OC), Gen, Including (somehow) Dr. Henley haha, Luke is just inexplicably friends with everyone, Not Beta Read, Please tell me if there's typos, Set in Wishful's "Empire Reimagined" AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:08:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27641137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mathmusic8/pseuds/mathmusic8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke invites Dr. Henley out to dinner.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Inspired by WishfulThinking1979's "Empire Reimagined" AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021743</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dr. Henley’s Dinner Appointment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishfulthinking1979/gifts">Wishfulthinking1979</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23809237">Forging Ahead</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishfulthinking1979/pseuds/Wishfulthinking1979">Wishfulthinking1979</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>In the latest chapter of “Forging Ahead” (chapter 98), Wishful was proud of the fact that our favorite people finally went to a planet and no one was injured. </p><p>That’s alright, Wishful, you always (generally, usually) give your people time to heal after they’re injured, so we forgive you :D</p><p>On that note, I was playing with an idea for Dr. Henley, and then Luke showed up, and since it’s starting to get cold outside, I decided they’d be in a cold place. Therefore, this may or may not be a direct follow up to that chapter—I’ll leave that up to Wishful.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had taken several days for Henley to accept Luke’s invitation to have dinner planet-side, but at last, the doctor had sent a curt reply containing his shuttle’s flight information. Luke was waiting at the landing pad when Henley arrived about an hour after sunset. Due to the late hour, there weren’t very many other passengers, but Luke still had to wait for them all to exit before he caught sight of Henley.</p><p> </p><p>The doctor wore a tweed grey suit jacket with a dapper red and grey scarf wrapped around his neck, and he was pulling on black winter gloves as he stepped into the cold night air.</p><p> </p><p>Luke was surprised, although he wasn’t sure why—of <em>course</em> Henley would dress sharp, even for such a casual outing. It was <em>Henley</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Still, Luke had been taught to never hold back a kind thought. “That’s a nice scarf, Dr. Henley.”</p><p> </p><p>Henley huffed in ready exasperation, his breath fogging on the cold night air. “Thanks, I hate it.”</p><p> </p><p>Several other passengers still close enough to hear the remark, and a few turned to look at him with raised eyebrows and shocked expressions, but Luke just laughed. “And why’s that?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s stiff, itchy, and scratches my face.” They moved quickly and quietly away from the landing pad, Luke leading but Henley right at his side and pushing their pace to nothing short of a brisk walk.</p><p> </p><p>“Then why do you wear it?” Luke laughed.</p><p> </p><p>Henley rolled his eyes and answered in his best condescending tone. “Because, as you  yourself so <em>graciously</em> pointed out, Commander,” and his expression was anything but grateful, “it looks fantastic on me.”</p><p> </p><p>Luke chuckled with a shake of his head. “Fair enough. Oop!”</p><p> </p><p>He slid on a slick spot on the walkway for a moment, but jedi reflexes were incredibly useful—he regained his balance quickly enough to keep pace with the doctor without issue.</p><p> </p><p>Henley had snapped to look at him at the first hint of a fall, and Luke didn’t miss the doctor’s quiet sigh of relief. Then the mask of indifference and vague peeved undertone was back. “It’s just as well you called me down here, Skywalker—this frozen wasteland is a disaster waiting to happen with you people. Broken bones, hypothermia, frostbite, pneumon—no, no <em>nonoNO!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>The doctor’s foot slid cleanly out from under him.</p><p> </p><p>Luke threw out his hand and grabbed Henley’s arm, and in turn Henley clung to the front of Luke’s coat. After a moment, they steadied each other on the stretch of ice they had walked onto.</p><p> </p><p>Then Henley tentatively stepped back and they both went down hard.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Crack</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Henley actually <em>screamed</em>, and Luke immediately knew the doctor had broken something. He rolled to his hands and knees, already reaching out with the Force to identify the injury and mitigate the pain.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright, doctor, I’ve got you.”</p><p> </p><p>Henley was <em>weeping</em>, and Luke quickly found that he’d fallen on his right leg very awkwardly. From what he could tell with the Force, it wasn’t as bad as it could be, but it still took several long seconds for him to convince the nerves in Henley’s leg to stop communicating so loudly. Probably a clean break. At least nothing had punctured the skin.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, Henley took several deep breaths and, of course, started swearing.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Force</em> <em>kARKING</em>—” the doctor continued with his colorful vocabulary, but Luke was more concerned about maintaining a steady connection to the Force while at the same time digging through his pockets to find a commlink.</p><p> </p><p>Coming up empty—he’d either left it in his room or lost it in the fall—Luke sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“Doctor? . . . Doctor, I need . . . Doctor, sir, please calm down . . . .”</p><p> </p><p>It took several more tries, but Luke was eventually able to ask Henley if he had a commlink on him.</p><p> </p><p>He did, thank the Force, and Luke was able to call the local paramedics. They mobilized immediately, but it would take a few minutes to get to them.</p><p> </p><p>Henley had gone worryingly quiet during the call.</p><p> </p><p>Luke found a small light on the commlink and turned it to Henley’s face. He was pale as a sheet, naturally, but also had abnormally large pupils.</p><p> </p><p>“G-Get that outta my face,” Henley slurred, reaching up and batting weakly at the light.</p><p> </p><p>Luke grimaced and flicked the light off. “Sir, I think you’re in shock.” He unzipped his coat and worked at pulling out of the sleeves.</p><p> </p><p>“’f c-<em>course</em> I’m in shock, you b-blockhead,” Henley snapped between chattering teeth. “Wh-what do you think you’re doing?! P-put that b-back on, you’ll get pn-pneumonia, you karking—”</p><p> </p><p>Luke just shook his head and draped his coat over Henley. “Doctor, you’re in <em>shock</em>. It’ll be a few more minutes before the paramedics get here, and you need to keep warm.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Skywalkers</em>, I s-swear,” Henley growled.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you do,” Luke agreed with a smirk. He shivered and rubbed his arms for a moment, grateful he’d chosen to wear a long-sleeved flannel shirt today. It was taking a lot out of him to block Henley’s pain, but he didn’t mind—he knew help was coming soon. It did mean he felt the cold more keenly, however.</p><p> </p><p>Henley was squirming under the heavy jacket, clearly trying to give it back, and muttering fiercely to himself.</p><p> </p><p>“. . . and no, absolutely n-not, this is <em>n-not</em> happening, not to <em>me</em>, I’m <em>not</em> going t-to be the b-beneficiary to any k-kriffing self-sacrificing Skywalker, so help m-me . . .”</p><p> </p><p>Well, if he was talking, he was still breathing, Luke mused. Although maybe getting him to keep oxygen in his lungs for a longer amount of time was a little more important at the moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Sir, I’m not going to get pneumonia by sitting in the cold for five minutes,” Luke interrupted. “It’s not <em>that</em> cold.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh really? Is <em>that</em> what you th-think?” Henley gave a breathy laugh—he really needed to stop talking—and he began what was obviously going to be an extensive weather report which he must have studied at some length before coming planet-side.</p><p> </p><p>He was, however, quite rudely cut off again.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, Doctor, I think that <em>medically speaking</em>, it would be better for you to be taking deep breaths than telling me about the weather.”</p><p> </p><p>Henley opened his mouth, but then shut it again with a <em>click</em> of his teeth.</p><p> </p><p>Still, he had to have the last word. “It’s y-you’re fault, you know. You invited me d-down to this <em>karking</em> planet.”</p><p> </p><p>Luke smiled. “I did. And you know something interesting? You <em>came</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Henley frowned severely. “Shut up, Skywalker.”</p><p> </p><p>—</p><p> </p><p>The paramedics arrived shortly thereafter, and Luke accompanied Henley to the local hospital. Henley preferred to be treated aboard the Lady, ideally in his own medbay, which he repeatedly told anyone who came close enough to hear once he was out of shock. His leg was a simple, clean break, however, and since he was already at the hospital, it was a simple matter for them to reset the bone and wrap it up in a fast-setting cast while the bacta worked its magic.</p><p> </p><p>“No weight-bearing for at least three days,” the country doctor prescribed, and Henley could have sprained something, he rolled his eyes so hard.</p><p> </p><p>When Luke laughed at him, Henley snapped to look at him and snarled, “I’m not like you, Commander—I’m not young <em>or</em> crazy. I’ll stay off it a <em>week</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Clearly unsettled by the acidity in Henley’s voice, the local doctor finished up quickly, and Henley was allowed to check himself out.</p><p> </p><p>Luke rented a hoverchair for him, and within the hour they were back at the landing pad, waiting for a shuttle to take them back to the Lady.</p><p> </p><p>For the first several minutes, they sat in silence, each still absorbing the whole debacle.</p><p> </p><p>Luke, naturally, was the one to start up a conversation.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry we missed dinner, Doctor. You must be hungry.”</p><p> </p><p>Henley snorted and leaned over the arm of his hoverchair to rest his chin on his fist, looking away from Luke entirely. “I’d completely forgotten about dinner. You young people, always thinking with your stomachs.”</p><p> </p><p>Luke was undeterred. “I’ll order us something from the galley, and I’ll only stay if you’re still up for it. ”</p><p> </p><p>There were several seconds of silence, and then Henley gave vent to a huge sigh and he nodded slightly.</p><p> </p><p>The shuttle arrived. Luke pushed Henley’s hoverchair on board and helped him settle into a seat. He went out to arrange for the chair to be returned while Henley buckled himself in.</p><p> </p><p>When Luke came back he found a seat beside Henley, who had new lines of exhaustion on his face, but had also regained some of his usual indifferent/peeved mask.</p><p> </p><p>“There better not be any serious injuries for the next few weeks, Skywalker, or so help me . . . .”</p><p> </p><p>“Only no <em>serious</em> injuries, Doctor? That leaves quite a bit of leeway,” Luke pointed out, eyes twinkling.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, well, <em>no</em> injuries would be too much to hope for with our people, now, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p><em>Our people</em>. Yes, Henley was a prickly old prune at times, but he was also quite good at keeping tabs on the leadership stationed on the Lady.</p><p> </p><p>Anyone who spent significant amount of time with Piett had been quietly armed with the Admiral’s migraine medication. Stories were told in passing of people being notified to keep an eye on Veers when he threatened to work himself to exhaustion. Then there was Luke’s own father—Henley had not only served as Darth Vader’s personal doctor for years, he had also been instrumental in the process of getting Anakin out of that terrible suit, out of the mask. Anakin could eat and drink and openly smile at his family again.</p><p> </p><p>Luke had seen the evidence, and he was quite confident in his conclusion.</p><p> </p><p>Dr. Henley had a heart, and a big one at that.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I like to think that Henley has a low pain tolerance. It could be a factor for why he’s so eager to put people under when he sees them in pain (“It’s time to be unconscious”* was a particular favorite line of mine), and maybe even why he’s so prickly in general.</p><p> </p><p>My first line and feeling for this fic:</p><p>“Thanks, I hate it.”</p><p>  <em>That’s such a Dr. Henley thing to say.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>*“Henley had arrived, taken one look at Piett’s dislocated knee and informed him that it was time to be unconscious.” - All the Sith’s Men (and one Lady)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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